


Intertwined

by susiedrae



Series: Misadventures of a Mutant [1]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Adventure, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mutant!oc, Original Female Character - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 06:22:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7965919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/susiedrae/pseuds/susiedrae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On Stryker's team, Logan wasn't captain. Meet Korena Re Grayson, also known as Raven. She and Logan walk away and are dragged back into Stryker's war alongside Logan, her brother in all but blood. Follows Origins plotline w/ OC</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Our mission was simple: assassination. We weren't told exactly who the hit was but that had never mattered before. As long as we were given a photograph or anything with the hit's scent on it, James, Vic, and I could track it and take him, or occasionally her, down.

I tasted the air, each of the individual scents being analyzed and categorized automatically. Looking over the new information, I murmured new orders into the headset hanging securely at my right ear. The rest of the team was close by, taking advantage of the surroundings as we were taught and hiding behind crates of who-knows-what and vehicles.

The target was currently in what appeared to be a normal office building hidden away in the Colorado Mountains. The only thing setting it apart was the helipad on the ground a short distance from the building, the barbed wire fencing, and the military vehicles sitting in open view of the road. The tank sitting close to helipad didn't exactly blend into the scenery either.

Signaling to my favorite partner in crime, the man nodded. I narrowed my eyes slightly and focused my mind closer to his, my favorite method of communication.

_James, we're going to have to get in and get out of here. We can't stop to-_

_I know damn well what we're doing here,_ James growled back mentally. I sighed, only perceptible to his feral hearing, but nodded determinedly, sliding out of his mind. _Damn telepath,_ James thought loudly, not really meaning his thoughts. We had been through a lot over the year we've known each other.

"Zero, in position. Target in sights," a man's voice echoed quietly over the headset.

"Hold position, Zero. We only get one shot at this," I ordered, my voice leaving no room for argument. Farther away, a voice chuckled. "Wade, shut the hell up before I sew your mouth shut," I growled into the headset. James chuckled to himself.

"Where'd Johnny Boy go?" Wade asked curiously. He was responded with a muffled _crack_ and the slight smell of sulfur sounding close to him. The whole team was entertained by his shout of surprise until the lights inside the building flashed twice. I cursed under my breath.

 _Silent alarm,_ I warned everyone, signaling the team to get ready for a fight. James' bone claws slid out with the usual squelch, his brother's claws lengthening as per usual. I heard the readying of a gun a in the distance from Zero's position, the sharp shooter getting prepared. Wade's katanas were drawn almost silently and John cracked his neck. Dukes rolled his shoulders back, tired of hiding behind the closest military truck.

Even farther away, I felt Stryker and Bradley, still on the plane in case we needed a quick getaway. My mind brushed against Bradley's and I warned him to keep an eye on the surrounding areas as a barbed wire fence began to swing closed on the building.

_Zero, do you still have a clear shot?_

… _Negative. Target on the move, on elevator heading up to the top floor._

 _Perfect,_ I smirked. Prey always felt safer off of the ground. Too bad they were always wrong, especially when it came to us. _Dukes, you're handling the tank. Zero, I want you and Vic taking out the guards and setting up a perimeter._ Nothing _gets out. Everyone else, with me. Stay close and don't get shot. I'm not in the mood to save anyone's ass today,_ I ordered.

Hearing no complaints, except from Wade's end, I began the mental countdown.

 _Three… Two… One… Now!_ I shouted mentally, rolling out of the safety of the truck. I was immediately under a heavy rain of fire. My eyes couldn't track them all but I didn't bother trying. I let myself take the more superficial hits, letting my healing factor have fun, while I did my best to divert the more dangerous bullets to the ground. My telekinesis might not be incredible, but I could deflect bullets without too much hassle.

I walked leisurely towards the front door as the hail of bullets slowed to a stop as Zero and Vic finished off the guards.

I didn't bother pulling at the door, instead letting James open it, grinning crookedly. I rolled my eyes at him, my right hand shooting down to my waist to rest on the hilt of my own sword. I raised an eyebrow and his grin faltered ever so slightly and he walked inside, the rest of us trailing after him.

Glancing around as he and Wade made quick work of the few guards left, I started walking towards the stairs. Without Bradley, it wasn't worth it to keep restarting the elevator each time the hit tried to shut it down. It was much easier to go up the stairs.

"Aww, come on Kori-" He quieted when my sword swung towards his head. His katana was barely unsheathed in enough time to block the hit. I lowered my blade, scowling when I saw the new chip in my sword.

"This is my op, Wade. I recommend you shut up and start climbing," I grinned sadistically. I might only be nineteen, I might be a woman, but that doesn't mean I'd let an idiot like Wade undermine my authority.

He swallowed, sheathing his sword as he began climbing the stairs. The hit was on the eighth floor, not too bad. I've made them run twenty floors before.

At the top of the stairs I straightened the headset on my ear, brushing my hair out of my face. I refused the get it cut, no matter how unethical it was.

"Zero, where is the hit?"

"Administrative office, east side."

"Guards?"

"Twelve with assault rifles. Two with handguns including the hit." I nodded, _this would be easy._

"When you see we're clear, get out of here. We'll meet you at the jet," I ordered. He acknowledged my orders and I turned back to the team. "Normal job. In and out. Wade, take care of the guards. Let me do the talking."

"Re, I don't think you should-"

"I don't think you should-" I was cut off by gunfire originating from the east corner and I growled, already running towards the door at the end of the hallway.

Just like I expected, Vic was standing there, covered in blood and surrounded by bodies, staring hungrily at the hit. I growled at him, slicing a tendon in his right leg. He knelt down, clutching his leg in pain.

"Control yourself, Sabretooth. This is still my op. I don't think anyone in this room would be very upset if I wanted to see if a _limb_ would grow back." Vic grinned crookedly at me, his eyes not losing that hungry look as they turned to me.

"Any time, Tweetie," he smirked. My hand tightened around the hilt of my sword but I sheathed the weapon.

"I apologize for my… friend's rudeness. However, I'm afraid I'm here for information, information I intend to get," I smiled tightly. The hit, a balding white man staggered back half a step. My smile broadened slightly. "Take out the handgun on your left hip and give it to my good friend with the claws, would you?"

The man jumped as James stepped forward, his hand reaching out. The man pulled out the gun but didn't give it away. Instead, he pointed it towards me with a shaking hand. I grinned, my lip curling.

"I dare you," I purred. James raised and eyebrow at me, quieting under my glare before I resumed staring intently at the hit. The sound of gunfire rang out, a single bullet, and I felt a pain in my right shoulder. I looked down to see the flesh already knitting itself back together until the bullet, a shining silver lump of metal, poked out from my wound and landed with a _clink_ on the marble floors. I nodded at the hit as John appeared behind him, throwing the gun to James and slamming the man down onto the table in a single movement. The man shook with fear, his eyes watering as his brain processed what just happened.

"Not a bad shot. That might have killed- well… Wade, I guess. Anyway, Mr. … Jamison, was it? Anyway, Mr. Jamison, I'm afraid you know certain information I want to know."

"I'll tell you anything you want!" the man broke down, sobbing into the papers. "Just don't kill me! Please! I have a wife, two-" He was silenced with a smack to the back of the head, courtesy of myself. Guilt was something I couldn't have, not in this job.

"Do I look like I care about your personal history? Shut the hell up," I ordered. "Now, Mr. Jamison, a very good source has told me of your involvement in the Selectionariots."

"How- how did you-"

"Is that true Mr. Jamison?"

"I won't-" He stammered. I raised my sword to his neck.

"Answer the question, Mr. Jamison," I said quietly. The blade inched closer to his neck until the cold metal touched his bare skin and he froze.

"Okay! Okay, I'll tell you! I was in it! An old friend of mine, one of my college roommates-"

"I don't care about your personal history, Mr. Jamison. Now answer me this, where are they?"

"Where- where are who?" he stammered, genuine confusion on his face and in his scent. I glanced at James.

_Do you smell a lie?_

_No,_ he said, looking confused. I sighed, frustrated.

"Where are the nineteen mutants that your precious Selectionariots have taken? Would you like to see names? Pictures?"

"I- I wasn't involved with any of that!" He shouted out. I clenched my jaw, my hand shaking with anger.

"Wrong answer," I growled, the sword already coming down. I stared, hard, at the men in the room. "Not a word to Stryker. Not the faintest hint of a whisper." I got solemn nods, even from Wade, as my answer. I cleaned my blade before sliding it back into it's sheath, sighing as I crack my neck. I slid the ring off of Mr. Jamison's right index finger, an ugly college class ring that he never took off, as proof of kill. I pocketed the ring before glancing out of the window, a helicopter appearing on the horizon.

"Move out," I ordered, jumping out of the window and falling the eight floors to the ground. James and Vic followed me out of the window, landing in a crouch like I did to cushion my fall. John grabbed Wade's arm before teleporting down to meet us and we set off towards the jet, still hidden in the dense forests and snow.

* * *

"Care to tell me what the hell that was about?" James said casually, covering the anger I could smell in his scent. I glanced up at him, standing in the doorway of my training room. I, unlike the rest of the team, had my own little suite complete with my own bedroom, a study, a personal training room, and a private bathroom. I loved being captain.

"I don't, actually," I snapped back. Two seconds later, I felt guilty and I sighed. "James, look, I'm sorry. It's just- I really _don't_ want to talk about it. Too close to home. Literally."

And just like that, James backed down. We all had screwed up pasts, especially when it came to family. I'd same Vic and James won the blue ribbon but I was a close second. I might not have killed my father, but I often wished I had. It was because of him I wasn't allowed to see my sister. It was because of him and his hate group that my Annabelle was taken.

James must have noticed something off about me, no matter how hard I tried to hide whatever 'it' was. That was really my only problem with James. He's seen me gut men in seconds, almost beating his record, but still he saw me as fragile. Either way, he stepped closer into my personal space, carefully evading any miscellaneous parts that barred his path. I had been practicing my telekinesis again and it showed this time.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, all teasing gone. I glanced up into his eyes and remember just how old he was. How many years he's seen.

But still, I somehow managed to shake my head.

"I'll handle it. I just- I need… a drink," I said, giving up. "Did you and Vic leave me a beer?" And the crooked grin was back. I sighed, already knowing the answer. "Is there _any_ alcohol left in this place?"

"There might be some whiskey in the cupboard under the sink," James chuckled. I rolled my eyes, still trying to shake a sense of guilt from my system. Each hit did that to me. James said it was because I wasn't a monster. Wade made a joke about women's rights and their duty in the kitchens. That was the last time I told Wade anything outside of orders.

"Take me to the whiskey," I ordered teasingly. James rolled his eyes but lead the way to the kitchen.


	2. Chapter 2

Some Time Later

 _This one isn't a hit. It isn't a hit,_ I repeated to myself as the plane touched down. We were in Africa- Nigeria, I think- and investigating something. What it was, I had no idea. Of course that worried me, being captain, but not nearly as much as having Stryker on this op with us. He was human, easily damaged. And if he got hurt, it would be my head under the axe.

We stood in a single line facing our next target. This man, apparently, was a diamond merchant both on and off the books. What we were doing, I still didn't know, but I knew enough to keep a hand on my sword and my mind fanned out.

"Why are we here?" It was James that asked the obvious question.

"All in good time," Stryker appeased him, the silky smile evident in his voice. "Zero?"

Without hesitation, the Asian man walked calmly towards the gates. When he was about twenty yards away, a man shouted out.

"Intruder! Perimeter Breach!" He shouted in a thick accent. "Man the weapon!"

Guns were readied and placed in slots along the wall, something a normal person might consider a good defense.

"Intruder!" Another man shouted out to Zero. "Stop! Put your hands behind your head!" _Wrong thing to say_ , I noted as Zero reached up, pulling out the handguns holstered just over his shoulder blades.

With inhuman accuracy, he fired five or six rounds off easily, each bullet taking down its own guard. A machine gun was aimed at Zero but was soon redirected towards the men as the operator slumped over, dead before he knew what hit him. Zero was still running towards the tall gate, the top tangled with barbed wire, but that didn't matter to him. He released the magazine from each gun, throwing the guns in the air and reloading them midair before catching them and jumping with a deadly grace over the fence, all the while firing his guns. By the time he hit the ground in a crouch, all the guards were taken care of or hiding from the onslaught.

Striking a rather unnecessary pose that he wouldn't have dared pulled without Stryker to show off for, Zero smiled smugly as the bodies hit the ground around him. Vic leaned close to James.

"Having fun yet?" he grinned sadistically. I bit back a sigh. Vic was getting out of control. I had mentioned his instability to Stryker but he didn't care as long as the man got the job done. I stared after him, disappointed, as he ran towards the gate Zero was now opening for us.

A lone guard, the only survivor, closed the hatch on a tank hiding halfway in the shadows and I sighed.

"Dukes," I called. He followed my eyes quickly.

"The tank?" He asked quietly in his deep voice.

"Yep."

"Yeah, I got that," he murmured, walking towards the war machine. He glanced into the barrel of the gun before punching his fist into the space. Just as his fist collided with the metal, the tank exploded, the shell just fired ricocheting back on the operator.

I blinked away the intensity of the light, my eyes shouting in pain as Fred pulled his hand away from the now ruined tank, shaking away the embers on his glove.

Taking the lead, I strode through the front door and straight to the elevator. With Bradley, the target could try as much as he liked but the elevator would keep going up.

Ignoring the poorly chosen elevator music- _Honestly, who listens to Muzak?_ \- I sighed as the elevator powered down. I glanced at John as he pressed the buttons in vain.

"Great. Stuck on an elevator with five guys on a high protein and Ms.-"

"I wouldn't finish that sentence," I growled.

"-Dreams really do come true," Wade continued, quieting only when Stryker told him to shut up. But even that lasted only so long. "You look really nice today, sir. It's the green; brings out the seriousness in your eyes."

"My god, do you ever shut up?" James growled quietly. Wade didn't even turn to look at him.

"Not while I'm awake, no."

"Bradley? Top floor, please. Little too much testosterone, not enough elbow room," I said, rolling my eyes. Bradley nodded, his hand moving to his temple in concentration, and the power came back on.

When we reached the twelfth floor, we stepped back to give Wade enough space to withdraw his katanas without endangering anyone. I sent my mind out, counting.

"Eight men with assault rifles… Four unarmed employees… I'm guessing the man at the desk is who we're looking for. He has a gun… The bottom right shelf of his desk," I supplied. Wade nodded.

"Time to go to work," he said, cracking his neck as the doors opened.

We were instantly met with a hail of gunfire. As soon as Wade was cleared, spinning his swords in circles and arcs around himself to redirect the bullets, I set up a telekinetic shield just outside the elevator. If Wade was going to mess up, he wasn't hurting anyone else doing it.

When Wade had finished his job, he was kneeling before the desk, both swords held in the air. He stood, glancing around the room.

"Okay… People are dead," he announced. I sighed at him as the diamond merchant reappeared from behind his large chair, trying to sit with all the dignity he could manage. I let Stryker lead, knowing full well that he'd rather not seem lower in rank than myself.

"If you didn't have that mouth on you, Wade, you'd be the perfect soldier," Stryker complimented. Sort of. Not that it matter; Wade gave him a mock salute, brushing it away when Stryker's back was turned. I noted the merchant's hand move subtly towards his gun but John appeared behind him before I could do anything about it.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you, brother," John said serious, taking the man's hand and pulling it away from the gun as he pointed his own in the merchant's neck. On my signal, he slid the gun out of it's hiding place, tossing it in the air to me. I caught it easily before throwing it behind me.

A flash of movement and I realized that the unarmed employees were still alive. James followed my eyes before meeting mine uncertainly.

"Take the diamonds. They are yours'," the merchant said, trying to sound casual. I could taste his fear on my tongue.

"I don't want your diamonds. I want this," Stryker said, picking up a smooth black and silver rock from the man's desk. It didn't look like anything special to me and I redirected my attention back to watching the merchant's reaction.

"That? That is nothing. A souvenir," he said, telling the truth.

"Where did you find it? I want the source," Stryker said, his tone warning the man not to mess with him. The African man tensed slightly.

"A small village, far inland. Three days from here."

And with that, we set out once more until we found the village. With all the natives gathered, Stryker interrogated, and I use the term loosely, the man in charge.

"Tell him that this rock is more valuable to me than his life," Stryker said, no lie in his scent. I shook my head, looking back at the native as Wade translated.

"Okay. He says it came from the sky," Wade translated, glancing up at Stryker.

"He's telling the truth," James nodded decidedly.

"You don't know the language, Logan," Stryker pointed out.

"It's a meteor fragment."

"I know what it is. I'm asking him where he found it." A sudden buzz rose in my ears and I let it in tentatively, hoping I knew the telepath trying to invade my mind.

"Sir, base wants to know our location," I reported, passing the message on.

"Shut them down," Stryker said, uninterested. I turned back to the telepath, telling him that we were still in Lagos but didn't expect the op to last much longer.

"Tell him everyone here will die unless he tells me where he found the rock." My stomach churned as I glanced at James and John uncertainly. Vic and Wade only smiled.

_Sir, I must protest. These are innocent villagers! I'm sure I could-_

"No!" Stryker shouted, suddenly glaring at me.

"He- he says that it's sacred," Wade sighed a little tiredly. Stryker echoed his sighed, turning and placing a hand on Vic's shoulder.

"Fine… Victor." And that was all of an order Vic needed to attack. It happened so quickly. Zero whipped out his guns, Victor lengthened his claws, Wade drew his swords. All three attacked without hesitation.

James dove towards the closest attacker- Zero- and tackled him to the ground. I held my ground, building a telekinetic wall around Wade before walking unsteadily up to him and knocking him out with the butt of my blade's hilt. When I turned around, James was already holding Vic's arm, the latter's claws extending towards a young man.

"Don't even think about it," James growled. "We didn't sign up for this. Put him down!" Victor obeyed reluctantly, breathing heavily as he turned towards his younger brother.

"What are you doing? We finally got a good thing going here; don't you screw this up."

"Enough. That's enough, we've done enough."

"Who do you think you are?" Victor asked quietly. "This is what we are. Maybe you'd rather be rotting in a whole somewhere till they figure out a way to do it to us. Is that it? Huh?

"I'm done," James said, finality ringing in his voice. "You coming?"

No reply.

"Jimmy!" Victor shouted calmly. James turned around slowly. "We can't just let you walk away." James only tightened his hand around his dog tags before ripping them off of his neck, throwing them into the sand by Victor's feet.

"Jimmy. Jimmy!" His voice began to fill with a hysteria of sorts. Honest panic.

James turned into the wilderness. I don't know why, but I felt a pull to follow. I looked around the team, wondering why it had taken me so long to realize it. _James was the reason I had stayed all this time._

I didn't love him, I knew that much. All right, maybe I did, but it was more as an older brother. I loved him, I wasn't _in_ love with him.

Whatever it was, it made me take off the sheath hanging from my waist and throw it down. I stared at it before turning back into the wilderness.

"You can't walk away from this, Re," Victor told me. I scowled at him.

"Watch me," I growled, following James into the dark. I paused, just before hitting the trees. I turned back to the team. "And the name's Raven."

"Why the hell did you do that?" A voice demanded. I raised an eyebrow.

"The same reason you did. I couldn't take this anymore."

"No," James said, sounding a little confused. "Why did you leave your sword back there?"

"I won't need it anytime soon," I pointed out, suddenly aware of how quiet the trees were at night. "I- I'm going back to the States if you want to hitch a ride."

I didn't get a reply, which worried me. James was starting to shrink back into himself, a self-defense mechanism that had been coming back. He was like this when I met him, then had opened up to me, then apparently shut down again. Talk about whiplash.

"I'm going to New York. One of my contacts in London told me about an old friend of his, a mutant, who set up some kind of safe haven for mutants. I want to see if there's anything there. Are you coming?"

"I'll find my own way," he said. I took that as a no. I sighed before pulling the mutant into a hug. He stiffened slightly and I sighed again, releasing him.

"Don't do anything abnormally stupid," I said, smiling crookedly. "And if you need me, look me up. I still owe you a drink."

I didn't get a reply so I nodded again before concentrating-hard. I surrounded myself with a field of telekinetic energy before pushing the field away from the ground and me with it.


	3. Chapter 3

I slowed my bike to a stop at the expensive looking gates, checking the address for the third time: Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Yep, at the right place.

I glanced down at myself. At least everything I had was acquired by legal means. The motorcycle was even signed in my real name, Korena Re Grayson. Parts of it had needed to be replaced but I managed to fix it up nicely.

My clothes were simple: my favorite pair of black jeans, only slightly torn, were tucked into my calf-length boots. A red plaid flannel shirt was covered by my leather jacket. A pair of gloves hid my hands, not completely necessary in the spring warmth but comfortable all the same. My dark sunglasses helped to keep the midmorning sun out of my eyes but I knew it was a matter of time before I needed to take them off.

Swallowing the last of my hesitation, I pressed the small call button on the gate. A man's voice answered me.

"Hello," he greeted, not really committing to anything. I chuckled to myself.

"Hi, an old friend in London said that I should come here. He told me to ask for Charles Xavier?"

"Ah yes, he warned us that you might be coming. Come to the front, we'll send someone out to meet you."

"Thank you," I said cautiously.

I revved the engine before throwing myself down the twisting path, my grin melting off of my face when I saw the sheer _size_ of the place. It was huge, no doubt. Definitely mansion-status.

Sitting on the front steps sat a very blue looking guy a little older than me. And I mean, _blue_. He was covered in dense blur fur, head to toe from what I could see. I shrugged it off, having seen a lot weirder, though I doubt the other 'normal' kids his age would have seen it that way.

I smiled at him, remembering not the smiled too widely. My incisors were sharper than most, even for a feral mutant. I had fangs. Nonetheless, I held my hand out to him.

"Hi, I'm Ra- Sorry, I'm Kori."

"What were you going to say?" He asked curiously. He didn't seem to notice my hand.

"Raven," I admitted, still smiling. He jumped slightly, finally seeing my hand.

"Where are my manners? I'm Henry. Henry McCoy. Most people call me Hank, though."

"So you're a feral, right?" I said, sniffing the air. I wrinkled my nose at a surprisingly strong wave of chemicals attacked my nose. "And a scientist, it seems."

"Guess I'm not the only feral in the house, any more, am I?" he shot back, still smiling. I grinned widely, revealing my fangs. He raised an eyebrow but didn't otherwise comment.

"Feral, telekinetic, telepathic… I'm not too bad with a sword either," I bragged lightly. Hank's jaw fell slightly. "I heard about what you kids did during the Missile Crisis. Nice work there."

"Kids?" he asked, a teasing light in his eyes. I shrugged.

"Sorry, I call pretty much everyone kid now. Old habit from one of my… coworkers."

"What did you do? The professor wouldn't tell us much about you," Hank added, almost as an after thought.

"That doesn't surprise me. I didn't do anything good, that's for sure."

"It can't have been that bad," Hank tried to reason. I stopped walking, holding my ground as I thought.

"I worked with a division of the military," I said, holding up my dog tags, still proudly saying Raven on one side and K. Grayson on the other. "I was captain of a seven man squad tasked with doing the government's dirty work: assassinations, espionage, and manipulating government officials to think what we were told."

"That's- that's terrible," he said, his eyes wide. I nodded, smiling wryly.

"The funniest thing is that I'm actually annoyed for not getting myself out of there earlier. I kept telling myself that it was better to be protected from the Selectionariots than to be taken away, no matter the cost. Chronological lying at it's best, I'm afraid."

"But you're better now," he said a little uncertainly. I shrugged.

"I'll tell you my life story later. Right now I think it's important for you to know that I left my sword back in Africa and I don't intend on getting it back," I said, only now noticing that Hank's hand rested on a doorknob. I flashed him a smile. "Thank you, Hank. Maybe I'll see you around."

"Maybe," he nodded politely before turning and walking away. My mind went out towards him curiously and I was surprised to find his mind guarded by thick walls. He turned, winking at me. "Nice try."

"Worth a shot," I smiled, shrugging before entering the room.

My first impression was of the book-covered walls and the large mahogany desk sitting just off the center of the room, closer to the windows on the far side than the door. At the desk sat a man in a wheelchair. He was not immediately noticeable, after all, his mutation was easy to hide, unlike Hank's.

The man, whom I presumed to be Charles Xavier looked a lot calmer than I'd expected him to. For whatever reason, I thought he'd be just a little nervous having me inside his school.

I was about to comment when I felt a dull prodding right behind my eyes. I raised an eyebrow casually as I threw up my iron defenses. Xavier only smiled.

"It's a little rude to just go through people's heads like that," I pointed out. He chuckled quietly.

"I must apologize. I find using my gift makes it easier to find what I'm looking for rather than talking."

"I don't have anything to hide from. I'm not proud of my past but that doesn't make me ashamed of it."

"And nor should you be," he said, folding his hands over his desk. "However, you do present a challenge. I won't deny you shelter but I must know: what are you plans for the future? You can't exactly wait for this to blow over."

"I know that," I defended. "It's just- I hurt a lot of people doing what I did, Professor. I was the captain. I know a lot about the whole operation. I know everyone on this team inside and out. I know how to defend myself from them. I want other people to know how too."

Xavier, for some reason, absolutely beamed.

"Wonderful," he said. I could hear and smell the genuineness of his sentiment. "It just so happens that we have a room prepared for you," he smiled. "Feel free to decorate as you wish. Oh, and Kori?" I turned back to look at him.

"Welcome to the Xavier Institute."

"Thank you, Professor," I said, surprised by how much I meant each word.


	4. Chapter 4

Six Years Later

_A thunk of an axe hitting slightly damp wood… The smell of cigars and cold beer- something that somehow equated James in my mind._

_And then, that oily slickness that always came with Stryker._ What was he doing here? _One of the other guys looked up at them, asking what they were all about. Of course, Zero was there too…_

" _Smells like government," a voice said before I realized it was my voice. My voice…_

" _And every night he looks up in the sky and sees the moon and howls her name… But he can never touch her again…" The woman's voice rang with muted pain._

" _Wow… Koo-koo-kachoo got screwed," a voice I recognized as James' said seriously before barking his version of a laugh._

" _Kuekuatsheu… It means the wolverine."_

* * *

I woke with a start. Nightmares were one thing, this was another. This was more than a nightmare, it was more real than that. _A memory?_

I shook my head, trying to blink away the fog of sleep. This would be another thing to talk to Charles about. Maybe after class….

I'd been teaching self defense and PE for almost five years. It was the longest I'd ever stayed in one place, even when I was with Stryker's team. I had long stopped thinking of them as my team. I hadn't kept in touch with any of them except for James, who now went by his middle name. Of course, I didn't begrudge him that. I went by Re more often than not these days.

My days were spent in a steady routine but it was far from boring. All that time I'd spent on Stryker's team, I had never allowed myself to just _relax._ To take a break from missions, from training, and from the rest of the world. Here, at the Institute, I was able to do what I finally realized I wanted to do. Protect.

* * *

"It was strange… I was surrounded by trees and I could hear machinery… Some type of lumber mill. Definitely up north," I dissected my dream to Charles. "And I wasn't myself. I was James. Or Logan, I guess."

"How long has it been since his last letter?" Charles asked. I had been surprised to discover not long after I had arrived, that Charles had very briefly met James. It was during the Cuban Missile Crisis and Charles was trying to put a team together to go up against some big bad mutant determined on destroying humanity. Charles and Erik, mostly known as Magneto apparently, had visited James in a bar looking for his assistance. He had told them no in what he might have considered a polite way. More or less… At least he didn't hit anyone.

"About four months. Last I heard, he was actually settling down in Canada with a girl and everything. I have a feeling that that won't last very long though. In whatever vision I got, Stryker paid him a visit."

Charles nodded thoughtfully.

"Professor, if I may…" My voice drifted off but Charles caught the feel of my thoughts.

"You wish to check on him?"

"I wouldn't say _check_. He can take care of himself by now," I chuckled. "But I am worried for him. If someone really _is_ hunting down our team, they'd have to know our weaknesses or be suicidal. Logan doesn't have very many physical weakness so they'd cripple his judgment by playing with the few emotions he lets himself feel."

"The girl?" I nodded.

"If she gets hurt, he's going to go for blood and throw himself into the crosshairs. I want to make sure she's protected."

"I understand," Charles nodded seriously, once more picking up on my thoughts. My inner feral was driven mostly by protective instincts, one of the reasons it made me physically sick to lead hits. Those instincts also made me train my students harder and force them to make themselves prepared for what was waiting out there for them.

 _Be careful, Re. Not even I know what is waiting for you up north._ I smiled at the now familiar voice in my head, returning in kind.

 _You've taught me well, Professor, but it seems a return to field work is required._ "I'm going to be leaving in twenty minutes. No need putting it off." I stood, stretching my arms.

"Very well. I believe Greg refilled your motorcycle's tank," he reported. I nodded appreciatively.

"Thank you, Charles," I said sincerely, smiling my pointed smile.

* * *

 

"Excuse me, do you know where-" My voice froze as I recognized a scent, one that I thought I had left far behind me. Turning away from the innocent stranger drinking a beer at the table, I mumbled a quick thank you to the man before walking slowly up to the bar. A man dressed in all black sat by himself, an untouched glass close by. I bit back a growl.

"You're not from around here, are you?" the bartender asked the man. He looked up from the bar, where he had been carving a smiley face with his fingernail. The man laughed almost sinisterly to himself.

"What gave me away?" I clenched my fist, glaring at Victor's back.

The bartender's eyes shifted uneasily from one end of the bar to the other. My right hand went to my waist, an instinct I had rather had forgotten from my time on the team.

Suddenly, a voice rang from outside, still some distance away but loud enough that I could pick it up with my senses.

"Victor! Victor!" The man only chuckled, glancing back at the bartender.

"You got insurance on this place?"

"Insurance? No," the bartender swallowed. I could see in his eyes that he was finally hearing Logan's voice.

"Hmm… Too bad," Victor smiled darkly.

"Victor!" Logan shouted once more before he burst through the barn doors, shaking in anger.

"Well well well, look what the cat dragged in," Victor sneered, spinning around slowly to face his younger brother. I stuck to the shadows, determined to keep the humans safe.

"Guys, whatever this is, take it outside," the bartender ordered weakly. Logan clenched his fists, the claws slowly sliding out of his knuckles. At once, the civilians grabbed their stuff and ran for the nearest exit, only a few tripping on the way out. Logan waited for them to clear out before speaking again.

"Why?" he growled.

"Why?" Victor repeated, laughing darkly. "You don't call, you don't write… How else am I supposed to get your attention?" His claws lengthened and both men tensed to spring. I readied my own powers, still hidden in the shadows.

With a final growl, the two men lunged at each other. Just before they could collide in midair, I threw out a wall of energy, off of which they both ricocheted.

Landing awkwardly, Victor spat towards me.

"I thought I smelled you in here," he growled, narrowing his eyes at me. I kept my stare level with his, my senses picking up details in the air. Logan's surprise, Victor's irritation, and my own hesitation.

"James," I said quietly, getting his attention. "Is Kayla…"

"Gone," he growled back, glaring hard at Victor. I tensed, tasting the anticipation from both before releasing Logan and pushing Victor outside and away from the poor man's bar. I sent my mind out cautiously, unsure of how thick Victor's mental defenses.

And I walked into the perfect mental trap.

I let my mind wander into Victor's largely undefended mind. Just as I was accessing his most recent memories, a wall of something cold, hard, and metal closed around me, encasing me in a bubble tougher than steel. My consciousness screamed and kicked at the wall, attacking every way I knew how, but Victor only looked towards me with a smug grin on his face.

"Nice try, Tweetie," he smirked. I tried returning to myself, tried to move my body, but was unable. I was able to see and hear but frozen, motionless. I saw Logan move to defend me and get clawed for his trouble. Victor pushed Logan down, walking to me determinedly. I was powerless as he raised his clawed hand to my left shoulder, ripping into my muscle like it wasn't even there as his hand traveled in an arc towards my heart. He lifted his hand just as Logan came behind him, shoving his claws into his brother's lower back and pulling him away from me.

The two continued to fight as if I weren't there, which was almost true.

The brothers leapt across rows of logs, just ready to be loaded onto trucks, and parried blow for blow until the younger slipped up. Victor grabbed him by the shirt, his claws sinking deep into Logan's chest, and lifted him before throwing him into the arms of a forklift, smashing his head against the dirtied metal.

Logan attempted to stand, groaning in pain all the while.

"I hate to say it, Jimmy," Victor began, using his brother's hated nickname, "but frankly I'm a little disappointed." Logan began to rise to his feet. "Stay down."

But he didn't. Logan stood again, lunging forward. He had the advantage for a few swings, but then Victor grabbed his arm and whirled him around, digging his nails deep into Logan's shoulder while Logan thrust his claws into Victor's chest.

Just when it looked like Logan would release him in favor of another attack, Victor pushed Logan back. Now on defense, Logan pulled Victor's hand away from him, throwing the older mutant onto the pile of logs behind him.

Victor, taking his advantage, kicked one of the posts holding the logs up and together, causing them to tumble down straight onto Logan, seemingly crushing him. Still in his mind, I screamed as loudly as I could. Victor only twitched his head towards me before jumping down to the ground below.

He hauled Logan out from under the logs and pushed him against the pile still standing, his face set in a sneer.

"Tell me something, Jimmy, was she worth it?" A truck approached and Victor tightened his grip before throwing Logan up and onto the windshield of the truck. He hit the glass and kept going, bouncing with a resounding _crack_ on the lumber and back onto the train tracks below. Victor sneered as he approached.

"When are you gonna figure it out? We're not like them."

"I am nothing like you," Logan said, breathing heavily as he stared up at his brother. Victor only smiled.

"Sure you are. You just don't know it yet," he promised. Then he brought his foot up, slamming it onto the claws protruding from Logan's left hand. The bones snapped off easily and Logan yelled in pain.

Victor walked out of sight into the darkness and I regained use of my body. And, instead of doing anything useful, I lost my balance and fell into the mud as I noticed that I was still bleeding…


	5. Chapter 5

"What do we have?"

"Bar fight. Multiple knife wounds on both," a man's voice reported. I opened my eyes, gasping at the light and the smell of chemicals assaulting my nose. I looked down to find my favorite leather jacket torn, matching each of Victor's claws, and pushed to the side. The marks were still healing, slower than usual, and I noted that my arm was numb.

"What is this, a joke? The guy's fine," another man said farther away, his voice annoyed before he yelped in surprise. I sat up and glanced over, waving the scared doctors and terrified nurses away from me as I caught sight of Logan. He had one very frightened looking man in scrubs held up against a wall.

"Where is he?" Logan growled at the man who clearly had no idea.

"Hey, hey, don't-"

"I said, where is he?"

"I don't know who he is," the man said, glancing nervously around the room as he tried unsuccessfully to calm Logan down.

"I can help you," a voice said from the doorway. I glanced over and felt my blood boil. I was at him even before Logan, pushing him against the blinds.

"You bastard!" I growled. I was roughly pushed to the side as Logan took control.

"Six years I've been here! No one knew me, and then you show up, and the next day she's dead!"

"I tried to warn you," Stryker gasped heavily. Logan tightened his grip.

"Why didn't you tell me it was Victor?"

"I- I didn't know!" Stryker said. I could smell the lie, just as Logan could.

"Bullshit!" Logan pulled Stryker away from the window, throwing him in a small corner in the wall and forcing him two inches off of the ground with a hand around his neck. "Why?"

"I swear- on my son's life…" Stryker choked out. And Logan released him to pace the hallway, frustrated.

"Victor's appetites were becoming too public," Stryker said, recovering as he sat collapsed on the floor. "I had to lock him up. He felt I had betrayed him."

I could smell the lie but, in his rage, I doubted that Logan could. I kept my silence, wanting to see how this played out.

"Went AWOL. Said he was coming after all of us," Stryker said, looking up at me. I growled, deep in my throat.

"Six years, Stryker. I've left you alone for just six goddamn years and you manage to turn Victor against us all! Who's he gotten already? Bradley? Wade? John? Who?" I said, clenching my fist.

"You didn't come to warn me," Logan cut in. "You came to save your own ass."

"So what's your plan, Captain?" Stryker asked me intently as Logan began to walk away. "You can't beat him Logan!" he shouted after him. "You know you can't!"

"I'm gonna find him and kill him," Logan growled under his breath.

"I can give you the tools to defeat him," Stryker coaxed. I froze. _This wasn't going anywhere good._ Logan also paused but for a different reason, I'm sure.

"And we can still save the others," Stryker continued.

"You mean save yourself," Logan corrected bitterly. Stryker gave him a crafty smile, the smile that made me want to crawl into a hole and hide in wait for World War III.

"I promise you two things. You will suffer more pain than any other man can endure, but you will have your revenge," Stryker promised. I could see the brief indecision in Logan's eyes, just as Stryker could.

_James, I don't like this. This isn't-_

"I come with you, I'm coming for blood," Logan glared. "No law. No code of conduct. You point me in the right direction, you get the hell out of my way."

Stryker smiled and I bit back a sarcastic remark when he turned to me. I put on my best mask: apologetic and ashamed.

"I'd like to come with you, if you wouldn't mind. I've been away from this for too long. This is what I am. There's no point in trying to deny it any more," I lied evenly. I smiled to myself as Stryker swelled smugly. I knew Logan could probably smell the lie in my scent, but the human didn't stand a chance.

"Then it seems we have an agreement."

* * *

Stryker knew how to pick a location for a secret base, that's for sure. How many people would search inside a mountain right beneath a waterfall for a secret facility? Not many, I'm sure.

As beautiful as the scenery was, I couldn't help but tense at the laboratory Logan and I were brought to. This room was made for the experimentation of mutants, both with and without informed consent.

This was the bonding chamber. Both of us were being experimented on with informed consent. Logan would be undergoing a highly painful and quiet likely deadly test in which Stryker's scientists would be attempting to bond a near indestructible alloy named adamantium to his skeletal system.

My procedure was immoral, even in the eyes of the scientists that were to perform it. It was just as dangerous as Logan's was and much more involved. Stryker, soon after Logan and I had left, came up with a new idea. Unfortunately, the idea needed both of us to carry out, a slight hitch in his plans. His plan was to graft sections of Logan's mutation onto my own, amplifying my feral senses and giving me my own pair of claws to replace my lost wakizashi blade. Then, if I had survived the first procedure, I'd undergo the procedure Logan would be going through. Needless to say, I was fully prepared to wrap my mind into a cocoon of telepathic energy to survive the pain, especially since normal painkillers were metabolized too quickly by my body to be of much use.

Scheduled so that Logan could be briefed on Victor's movements and that I could be a viable weapon faster, my procedures were set much earlier. So much so that I'd be done and ready to fight, assuming I survived, just as Logan would begin his round of pain.

Having gleaned most of my information from the minds around me, I kept up my oblivious mask as DNA was collected and duplicated from Logan and as I was led to my own room and told to relax as they strapped me onto a table. I kept my face smooth, forcing my body to wince as the needles were pushed into key points on my body unceremoniously. _Honestly, they didn't even have a countdown or anything… No dramatic drilling noises… Nothing,_ I thought to myself, already wrapping my mind around itself, heavily dulling the pain receptors in my mind. I forced my body to respond to the stings I allowed myself to feel, acting as if I was in incredible pain and discomfort.

Without the pain, and the burn of a new mutation, I didn't realize it was over until a female doctor came to my side, apologizing as she removed the needles. I felt a new command in my muscle memory and I flexed my arm, staring in disbelief as three bone claws slowly pulled themselves out from between my knuckles.

"Freaky," I commented, putting on a wince at the end for the doctor's benefit.

"How do you feel?" one of the doctor's asked me. "Any aching, itching, or anything even remotely odd?"

"No, I feel… Powerful. It's good. Nothing bad so far… I guess that's good, right?" I said, loading on the hesitance and caution. The doctor's eyes softened slightly and I remembered that I must looked awfully young to her.

"Dr. Richards, report to Colonel Stryker that the subject's body seems to be adapting the new mutation without any negative side effects," she called to another doctor. The man nodded before speaking into a small radio on the lab table.

"Now, Raven, if you are ready, the room is prepped for your next procedure," she said gently. I nodded determinedly.

"Let's do this," I smiled briefly, flexing my arm and sheathing my bone claws.

* * *

Pain. Burning. Indescribable agony. Even with my shield, the pain was only dulled slightly. Without that thin membrane of telepathic energy surrounding me, I doubt I could have survived. Even with it, there were no words for this.

My bones were cracking and healing simultaneously, my newly improved healing factor working its hardest to prevent long term damage.

I writhed in the liquid of the tank, semi-suspended and connected to dozens of cables and needles. I almost lost a grip on my oxygen, the pain making me incoherent.

But then, the burning began to drip away. Ever so slowly. I could feel it. The beeping of the heart monitor sped up… faster and faster… but I could feel the burn begin to recede.

I opened my eyes as the needles pulled out slowly, the tissue healing behind them. The wounds healed over but I still felt scarred.

I tried to lift my arm, but found it impossible. It might have been the sudden heaviness knowing that there was metal coating my entire skeleton or it might have been the very thick straps holding me down, but I couldn't tell.

_This is gonna be hell to explain to Charles._

* * *

 

"How are you feeling?" a gentle voice asked. I opened my eyes to see the same woman, the one whose thoughts were truly concerned for my well-being, standing in the doorway.

I had been placed in a small quarters room with a change of clothes and ordered to lie down on the bed and get some rest. Of course I hadn't. In fact, I'd been playing with my new mutation.

"Better than I thought I'd be doing," I admitted truthfully. "Has Logan's procedure started yet?"

"In ten minutes," she replied evenly. I bit my lip.

"Can I be in the room? Logan is like my brother. I don't want him going through that alone."

"You can't help him much, Raven. If anything, it might make it worse," she reasoned. I shook my head, gently pressing my mind to hers'.

_I can help him think of something other than the pain. That's what I've been doing this entire time. I can create a cocoon of sorts around his pain receptors. That's the only thing that kept me hanging on._

She didn't look quite convinced, but still nodded her head. I grabbed my new bag, small enough to be considered a purse but large enough to hide anything necessary, and easily slipped in a change of clothes for Logan, knowing he'd want it especially if we had to make a quick getaway.

That was how I found myself standing, once again, in _that_ room. This time, it was Logan's turn. The generals were all in attendance for this display, invited now that Stryker knew that it was possible to survive this experiment.

"Today, we're going to witness medical history," Stryker announced to the generals. "Today, we are going to create Weapon X."

"X?" a general asked, looking skeptical.

"Roman numeral ten," Stryker said smoothly. "We are about to begin bonding adamantium to Weapon X's skeleton. Let's-"

"Sir, I apologize for interrupting but I believe this to be important," I cut in. Stryker looked very annoyed but nodded for me to continue. I smiled at him with mock gratitude, flashing my fangs. "I'd like permission to create a telepathic field around Weapon X's mind for the duration of this experiment. It will shelter his higher functions from the effect of the amount of physical pain this procedure is going to force upon him as well as improve the likelihood of success. May I proceed?"

"Are you sure of the side effects of this field?" one of the generals asked. The female doctor from earlier nodded her head from beside the machines.

"This young woman has underwent a procedure in which another mutant's DNA was grafted and assimilated into her own. As she explained to me earlier today, this cocoon, if you will, creates a membrane between the subject's consciousness and the pain receptors in their mind, lessening or even eliminating the pain felt. As you can see, she is having no unpleasant side effects and judging from the results of my observations, the telepathic energy helped her mind to more naturally accept the changes done to her body."

"Are you sure of this?" Stryker asked, looking directly at me. I nodded quickly.

"The mutant on that table was assigned to my team, if you recall, Colonel Stryker. He's very effective at what he does. It benefits me as much as it does you to give him every chance at surviving this procedure," I said seriously. Stryker nodded and I climbed down to the table. I smiled at Logan briefly before closing my eyes in concentration.

_This is going to be the hardest thing you've ever done, Logan. I'm here to help you build up your mental defenses against the pain before it begins._

_I can take it._

_No, you can't, you idiot. Just shut up and do what I do,_ I ordered, reinforcing his mind and the fortifying his defenses along his pain receptors. Eventually he caught on and I nodded at Stryker to begin, not once leaving Logan's side.

"Begin," he ordered, nodding at one of the assistants. The man in the lab coat nodded and flipped a single switch. The needles began to heat, spinning and steaming as they dipped into the liquid suspending my friend and brother.

When the burning began, he writhed, just as I did. I pushed myself into his mind, breaking down his defenses with adamantium fists.

"Why is he thrashing like that? Why isn't he sedated?" a general asked Stryker back on the upper level.

"He feels pain just like the rest of us, but anesthesia won't work on him. That's why he had to volunteer," Stryker said, his voice sounding stressed.

_Logan, focus. Focus on Kayla. Why are you doing this? You need to stop Victor. Stop him from taking someone else away… Remember her, Logan. You're not an animal._

His mind screamed in agony but I forced his memories on top of the pain: Kayla's smile, her laughing with the children, the story of 'Koo-koo-kachoo'.

"Will he survive this?"

"He can make it," Stryker whispered to himself, repeating those four words to no one in particular.

And he pulled through. His heartbeat slowed to a near stop but it never quite faded.

"Heart rate rising… Steadying. Body temperature cooling to normal."

"We did it… Procedure complete," one of the scientists, Cornelius, almost breathed.

"Are we taking him to the island?" Zero asked Stryker quietly.

"The island? No. The bonding works. We'll use his DNA for the XI… Erase his memory."

Still in Logan's mind, I could hear those three words repeating over and over. Every memory of Kayla was replaying in Logan's mind, all backed by _erase his memory._

Without warning, I was forced to jump back. Logan began thrashing and I glared at Stryker.

"I think he heard you," Zero murmured, watching Logan's claws slide out from his hands as he screamed silently, the water muffling his roar of anger as he began tugging at the restraints. With one final pull, he freed himself and I jumped back farther as Zero drew his guns and began firing at Logan. Stryker called for a lockdown as people starting running everywhere in chaos.

Logan cut through the guards on the way to the door. Literally, slicing them open without rhyme and very little reason as Zero shot after him. I followed him through the chaos, stopping as he created and kicked open a door for himself. He threw himself off of the cliff and I followed without hesitation.


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't know if I should kill you or hug you, kid," Logan nearly growled to me as I passed him the clothes I'd snatched for him. I rolled my eyes.

"Seeing what I've been through in the past twelve hours, you should really think about hugging me. You realize I had to get your DNA grafted onto mine? Let me tell you, bone claws were a lot cooler in my head."

"Wait- what?"

"Yep," I said, popping the p. "I got your bone claws and a power-up on my healing factor. Oh, and I second the whole 'kill-Stryker' thing," I said, releasing my own adamantium blades. Mine were not as thick as Logan's but they were about an inch longer.

Logan looked incredibly angry at that moment so I took the time to change the subject.

"Oh, look! A farm! Let's go see if we can stay the night." Logan grunted but shivered from the cold. We were both still damp from our dip in the waterfall from our escape and the cold was starting to get to me.

* * *

I knocked on the door a little hesitantly. Even with the minimal amount of strength I put into the movement, my fist struck loudly against the wood. I shivered, drawing my still damaged leather coat around me.

An old woman answered the door and I smiled carefully at her, not wanting to scare her with my teeth.

"Hello?"

"I'm sorry for intruding, but would you happen to have a telephone I can borrow?"

"That's quite alright, come on in," she said with a warm maternal smile. "The telephone is in the kitchen; my husband and I were just about to eat."

"I am barging in, aren't I?" I said to Logan, pouting. I knew how to play people, even if it was a subtle art. Like planned, the old woman nearly dragged us inside.

"Nonsense. My husband and I don't get many visitors in these parts, feel free to stay for dinner if you like." Right on cue, my stomach growled. I smiled sheepishly but the woman pushed me to the sink. "You can make that call after supper. Right now I want you two washed up."

"Thank you, ma'am," I said, adding the right balance of sincerity and gratitude into my voice. Yes, manipulating people was a subtle art indeed. "Oh, I almost forgot; I'm Kori and this is my brother, Logan."

"Oh, it's no problem, sweetie," the woman insisted, settling the table. I prodded Logan towards the sink as I dried my hands and sat down across from the woman.

"That's a nice chopper you've got out there," Logan said to the man, probably picking up the hint that he needed to say _something_. I was glad to see that the old man's eyes lit up.

"Oh, you know motorcycles," he smiled. I sighed under my breath.

"Lord, here we go again," the woman muttered. I laughed, nodding in agreement.

"My favorite's a '48 Panhead. Bought one new off the line," Logan boasted.

"I think you're a little young for that, son," the man chuckled. His wife, Heather, took over, smiling at us.

"You two must be exhausted. Kori, dear, why don't you make that phone call and then get a good night's sleep. It's too dark to be going anywhere now," she pointed out. I smiled, truly grateful now.

"I can't thank you enough," I said, holding back a yawn.

"Oh, it's no trouble," she repeated, clearing the dishes as I called Charles.

"Hello, Hank," I smiled, recognizing the voice answering the phone.

"Who is- Re?"

"Yep. Is Charles there? This is important."

"Umm… He's not here actually. He's scouting for the school again." I sighed, frustrated.

"Okay, can you take a crazy important message and promise to me that you'll shout this in your head the moment he comes back?"

"I suppose I could, yes. What is the message?"

"Okay, this might take a while…" I explained, as briefly as I could, exactly why I needed my bike. At the other end there was dead silence, so dead that I got nervous. "Hank?"

"You let someone _experiment_ on you? But you have no idea how dangerous that could have been! You could've died! You could've-"

"I know, Henry. Just get my bike out here. When Charles gets back, tell him to use Cerebro to find me. And fast. We're getting chased by some guys from my old team."

"You mean-"

"Yes, I do. So, unless you actually want Zero to find us and chop off my head, I recommend getting my bike out here."

"Got it. Be careful, Re."

"Thanks, Hank. We're gonna need it." I hung up the phone, putting a smile on my face for the audience. "Are you sure it isn't any-"

"Honestly, dear, there's no problem. Upstairs, second door on your right. I've already got it set up for you. Logan, you'll be in my son's old room; first door on the left. Now go on upstairs and get some rest."

"Thank-"

"Just go on upstairs," Heather argued good-naturedly. I gave her a quick hug before smiling and dashing upstairs. At the top of the stairs, I smiled again.

"Thank you!" I called before she could cut me off. I turned and went into her daughter's old room, ready to collapse. On the bed were a set of pajamas and clothes for tomorrow that look fairly close to my size. I changed into the warm looking pajamas before sifting through the drawers. Finding what I was looking for, I grinned.

I took the biking gloves out of the top drawer, pulling them on and releasing my claws, slicing the gloves open ahead of time. Then I placed the gloves back in my backpack before settling down for the night, pulling the blankets close to me and shutting my mind off for the next few hours.

* * *

 _Your motorcycle is in the woods just north of the house. Follow your nose,_ Charles' voice rang out in my head, disapproval clear in his tone.

_I'll explain everything later, Charles. This goes deeper than I thought. I need to see just how far this thing goes. I have some questions for Stryker and I intend to get some answers. Logan was Weapon X, roman numeral ten. I need to see what happened to the first nine, and see how many more mutants have been dragged into this mess._

_I wasn't questioning your motives, Korena. I was nearly going to ask you to be careful. The Institute needs you too much for you to do something unnecessarily risky._

_I'm always careful, but sometimes careful doesn't quite cut it._

Charles sighed in my mind.

_I know, my dear. I know._

I woke up from my sleep with a smile on my face, the professor's voice still echoing in my thoughts. A moment of panic rose in me as I opened my eyes to the unfamiliar room but melted away when I remembered the events of the day before. Stretching my aching muscles, I slid out of bed and into the bathroom, taking a quick shower before getting dressed in Heather's daughter's old clothing.

Looking in the mirror, I smiled, baring my fangs. The jeans covering my legs were a dark navy blue with careful embroidery running down the left leg. My top was a white tank top and a denim jacket, on the dressy side but made of a durable material. I was wearing new running shoes, courtesy of Stryker, and my old dog tags again.

I quickly braided my long brown hair and slipped my new gloves on before striding out of the room and down the stairs. I walked into the kitchen, following my nose to the smell of eggs and waffles. Seeing me come through the doorway, Heather looked up, smiling.

"Good morning, dear," she greeted, humming to herself. "Travis and Logan are in the barn, talking about motorcycles. I was just about to bring them something for breakfast; would you like to join me?"

"I will, thank you. Thank you for letting us stay the night. I really appreciate it," I said truthfully as Heather loaded the food onto a tray for the men. She just smiled at me, still humming as she led the way out of the front door.

I held the barn door open for her, watching Logan shrug into a leather jacket.

"Oh, it fits you beautifully," Heather smiled warmly. "I brought you some-"

She never finished her sentence. I heard the buzz of a bullet streaking through the air and I instinctively ducked for cover as the glass pitcher of orange juice shattered on the plate.

Heather just stared down at the tray, confusion and surprise staining her features before another bullet came soaring in through the already damaged window. Heather went down, already gone. Anger rose up inside me, my vision tinged red at the edges as my eyes tracked the trajectory. There was only one marksmen I knew who could take that type of shot from so far a distance that I couldn't even smell him. _Zero._

But there was no time to react. Travis was hit hardly a second later as he turned towards his wife, right in the heart. Logan jumped forward to catch him, but it was already to late. I heard the whir of a helicopter and I clenched my fist, centering my power.

I pushed the ground away from me. My claws extended and I growled, going straight for the doors.

I had barely cleared the barn when the helicopter fired its missiles. It hit the gas line and the entire barn exploded. I felt a twinge of worry before I heard the roar of a motorcycle following me outside. I pushed myself through the air just as the helicopter circled around, heading towards Zero's position. He ran towards the helicopter and made an inhuman leap towards the body of the machine.

But I undershot it. Zero slid into the helicopter and I rocketed right past him, inches away from him. I growled to myself before turning around and resuming my chase, following the helicopter as it shifted midair to target Logan. The machine guns fired and I pushed myself as hard as I could go, my fingers grazing the rail under the body before I tightened my hand around the cold metal, pulling myself onto the steel. I laid there, just trying to catch my breath, as the helicopter turned towards the woods.

As we flew over the trees, bullets flying, I made a spur of the moment decision and let go of the helicopter, letting myself fall into the branches below. If we were getting out of this, I'd need my ride. Logan's motorcycle wouldn't be fast enough if it was forced to carry two adamantium laden mutants. Even from watching it, I could tell it was slowed by Logan's weight.

I stuck my hand out onto a limb as I went shooting towards it, slowing my descent and righting myself so that I could cushion my fall without damaging anything too severely. I landed in a crouch and opened my senses, ready to follow orders.

Two scents were immediately picked up: adrenaline and gunpowder. I dug a little deeper, searching for something out of the ordinary as I drowned out the guns. There, hidden under the most recent smell, was the scent of mountain laurel, my favorite flower that, coincidentally, was not in season at this time of year. Following my nose as per instructed, I soon found myself in a small clearing. My bike stood close to the edge, a freshly cut bough of mountain laurel, no doubt from my greenhouse at the mansion, adorning the handlebars. I chuckled to myself as I threw the laurel to the ground, only now noticing the thick roll of cash that had been hidden just under the flowering plant. I stuffed the money in my pocket, mounting the bike.

I kicked it to life, the bike roaring mutely under me before I released the brake. I shot off into the trees, now following the sounds of gunfire.

I was just turning back onto the main road when I heard a load explosion followed by a resounding crash. I pushed the throttle, turning to see the helicopter, lying broken on the dirt road. I slowed the bike to a stop, watching Logan as he paused, ten feet from the helicopter. I heard a voice, Zero's voice, shout something over the flames.

"It's funny how good, innocent people tend to die around you!"

Without a word, Logan's claws slid out. I looked down as he struck the ground, igniting a trail of gasoline that led straight to the helicopter, and walked away. He had barely taken three steps when the fire reached the machine, and Zero, and ignited the whole thing, pulling itself apart in the explosion.

Picking his bike off the ground, he stared at me with a dark expression.

"Where the hell have you been?" I pulled out the money.

"Getting some funds together. We need to get as far away from here as fast and as soon as possible. Also, I doubt that '64 could carry both of us considering the metal," I defended weakly, gesturing to his bike lying sadly on the ground some yards away from me. Logan only grunted, lifting his motorcycle up.

"We need to pay John a visit," I decided. Logan tightened his grip on the throttle and I cleared my throat. "Las Vegas it is."

 


	7. Chapter 7

"Oi, John, throw me a beer," I shouted over to the mutant. He was leaning on the floor of a fighting ring, watching two men beat each other up the old fashioned way- no claws, no healing factor, no guns; just two guys with a couple of fists and a need for some serious therapy.

The African American jumped visibly, turning to me. His eyes widened in surprise and he grinned in recognition.

"Korena Grayson," he greeted, still smiling. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"Same to you," I chuckled, pulling him over. "Unfortunately, I'm not just stopping by. Logan and I need your help."

"Logan? Logan needs my-" His disbelief was cut short by Logan's brooding face. John fell silent for a moment before nodding. "Come upstairs."

"You sure it was Victor?" John asked, throwing Logan a beer. My drink was already open and just half full. I lounged on the couch, watching Logan's face.

"Yeah," was his noncommittal answer.

"Damn… I'm sorry, man," John sighed, sitting back down and propping his feet up. Logan nodded curtly and stood up, pacing towards the window.

"What the hell happened to him after I left?"

"He got worse. Felt like you two abandoned us. Hell, we all did," John said into his beer, not meeting my eyes. "But Victor… He had to prove that he was better than you. Hunting and killing anything he was pointed at. Quit a few months later myself. Couldn't take rounding them up anymore."

"Rounding who up?" I asked as John took a gulp from his bottle. He shook his head.

"Leave it alone."

"Rounding who up, John?" I repeated, leaning towards him. John stood, placing his beer on the desk anxiously. "Damn it, John, who?"

"We hunted our own kind," he said, his voice almost breaking at the end. "There's a special place in hell for the things we did."

"Mutants?" Logan asked. "Why?"

John sighed, tense.

"Stryker said we'd be making a difference, protecting people from the bad ones," he said. At the end, he sighed, sitting back down again. "How you gonna take Victor down, Logan?"

"Remember that stuff in Africa?"

"Yeah, I remember Africa," John nodded quickly. "What about it?" Logan sighed to himself before drawing out his new claws. John sat up in his seat and I drew my own claws.

"Damn, what'd they do to you?" Logan only allowed his claws to slid back into his hands. I stared at the metal protruding from my knuckles.

"Don't ask," I said evenly. "Look, Zero said something about an island. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Nope," John shrugged. "But maybe Dukes knows. Him and Zero were real tight."

"Fred Dukes? Where is he?" Logan asked, standing.

"He's here-"

"Well let's go talk to him," Logan countered. John held up his hands, quieting Logan.

"Hold on, he don't get in till around 4. But I got to warn you, he developed a bit of an eating disorder. We all got our coping mechanisms. I'm tryna whup him back into shape. Whatever you do, don't mention his weight."

* * *

"Come on, Fred, if you wanna get in shape you got to move, man!" John shouted at a heavily obese man in the ring. John turned back to Logan. "I told him he got to move. He's got to mo-" Dukes' opponent came flying towards us. Logan, John, and I all ducked out of the way, allowing the man to go flying into an billboard behind us.

"Fred Dukes? That looks like the creature that ate Fred Dukes," Logan muttered under his breath, watching Dukes turn towards us, Slurpee in hand.

"Hey, be nice, man."

"Hey, fat- uh, Fred," Logan greeted awkwardly, walking up to the ring. "I seem to remember that girl when she was about 85 pounds," he said, gesturing to the now stretched tattoo of a woman on his arm. Dukes glanced down at it.

"Oh that's funny. You're still so funny, Logan," Dukes said, staring back at Logan.

"You know where Victor is?" Oh, Logan. Subtle as always.

"No idea," Dukes said, shifting his weight away from the feral.

"Okay, then. What's the island, slim?"

 _Ooh, that one struck a nerve,_ I commented in John's mind. He flinched a little at the contact and I grinned at him.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Logan," Dukes said, turning away.

"Listen to me, I ain't leaving until you tell me where Victor is. So come on, bub, for old times' sake, huh?" I winced at Logan's articulation, or lack thereof.

"Did you just call me… Blob?"

"No, but-"

 _Way to be subtle,_ I directed towards Logan's mind as Dukes rushed him. Logan rebounded right off of Dukes' stomach, flying backwards. John vanished into thin air and I ducked again, letting Logan soar over me and into Dukes' first opponent, knocking the both of them into the advertisement.

"I told you not to mention his weight. Why'd you call him Blob?" John muttered under his breath, reappearing beside Logan, still recovering.

"I didn't call him Blob, I said _bub_." He pushed himself to his feet. "Goddamn it."

"Hey, hey, hey, hey Logan! I got an idea," John said, holding Logan away from Dukes. I laughed aloud at the image forming in John's mind.

* * *

"This is your idea of an idea?" Logan asked a little condescendingly.

"Hey, I'm just trying to help you out, Logan. Dukes don't like you that much and you know it."

"Yeah, the feelings mutual."

"Well, use them gloves, man. Dance with him a little bit. Allow him to let his anger out on you," John said, throwing punches at an invisible enemy. "Figure if you do that, he'll probably tell you everything you want to know."

 _I could just force it out of him_ , I reminded John. He glanced at me pointedly.

 _Just let Dukes go one round. Then you can give it a shot,_ he compromised. I rolled my eyes, returning to the conversation.

"Jesus. He's gonna have a coronary, for Christ's sake. Is there even a stretcher big enough to carry this guy out of here?"

John didn't respond, instead choosing to ring the bell. Logan turned around just in time to get socked in the jaw by Dukes. He fell onto the ropes, recovering.

"It ain't him I'm worried about getting out of here on a stretcher."

"You're an asshole," Logan reminded him, his voice rough. Dukes taunted him and I turned away from the fight.

"I'm gonna go get a beer. Want one? On me?" I coaxed, glancing at Logan and Dukes, already throwing punches.

"Yeah, sure," John said, watching the two intently. I rolled my eyes before walking away from the mutants.

~/~/~

I walked back into the boxing gym, only to find Logan grabbing his coat.

"Where are we going?" I asked, throwing John his beer.

"New Orleans," Logan growled.

* * *

We walked into the club on Bourbon Street, keeping our eyes open for Remy LeBeau. It wasn't that hard. I kept my mind open, searching for the only guarded mind in the room. I found him, throwing cards around at one of the tables.

"There's our guy," I said, nodding at him. John watched him toss an ace of spades into the air with his right hand, spinning it twice, before it joined the rest of his hand in his left hand.

"That's cool… Listen, I'm gonna go cover the back in case he rabbits," John decided. Logan looked at him in mock hurt.

"I'm not gonna fight with him," he defended. John laughed.

"Yeah right."

"What? I get in fights with everybody?"

"Don't dogs kill cats?" John chuckled. I smirked.

"Just go cover the back, will ya," Logan said, rolling his eyes as John walked away.

Logan walked up to the table silently. I walked a step behind of him, staying hidden and able to cover the front.

"Are you Remy LeBeau?" Logan asked, his voice serious. Gambit stopped playing with his cards, his eyes on the tablecloth.

"Do I owe you money?"

"No," Logan enunciated. Gambit looked up with a smile.

"Then Remy LeBeau I am," he greeted, doffing his hat. I smirked in the background. Gambit was planning on scamming everyone at this table. "Large blind's 100, small blind's 50. May I deal you in?"

"What can I get for seventeen bucks?" Gambit laughed.

"Seventeen dollars… A cab ride home perhaps?"

"Deal me in, large blind," I said, sitting beside Logan. I smiled broadly at Gambit, letting just the edge of my fangs be seen. He stiffened and I smirked as he dealt me in regardless.

"So what brings you to our fair city, Miss…?"

"Raven," I answered. Gambit smiled.

"Is that an answer or a name?"

"A name," I said coyly, smiling at my cards, even though it was a worthless hand. "I believe the answer to your question would be Victor Creed." Gambit's hand froze over the table.

"And who's that?" he lied badly, resuming dealing. Logan answered for me.

"The man I'm gonna kill. He works with a man named Stryker on an island. Just need to know where it is."

"And why would you think I know that?"

"Well, 'cause I know who you are, 'Gambit'," Logan said, meeting his eyes. "You're the guy who escaped and you're the guy who's going to take me back there."

"Those are mighty nice tags you have on there, sir," Gambit said, his eyes narrowing. Logan's hand crept up to the dog tags, still hanging around his neck. Gambit sat up, leaning forward. "The men who took me wore tags just like 'em."

His eyes grew red warningly and I tensed.

"Hey, now, bub, you listen to me-" Logan began calmly. A little too late for calm, though. Gambit through the card in his hand and it exploded the moment it touched Logan's chest. Gambit slid the rest of the deck into the air, charging them with whatever energy he was using and shooting them off towards Logan. The cards pushed Logan straight through the wall and into the alleyway behind the club.

Gambit glared at me as Logan turned away from the club, as if he were in a trance. My hand found my own dog tags and my stare hardened.

"Two years I rotted in that hellhole and I ain't never going ba-"

I closed my eyes, rushing his mind in a mental assault. He stumbled back, but it wasn't enough. I jumped back, through the hole Logan had created in the wall, and was about to attack when a scent attacked my nose. _Victor,_ I growled to myself. I turned and saw Victor, smug over a body. John. John's body. John was dead.

Logan's claws were soon released, the adamantium glinting dangerously, but Victor only smiled wider.

"Ooh, shiny," he taunted. "Tell me something, Jimmy. You even know how to kill me?"

"I'm gonna cut your goddamn head off. See if that works."

Victor made a sound somewhere in between a laugh and a growl and Logan ran forward. I was about to follow, my own claws ready, when I heard Gambit's voice behind me.

"A telepath, huh? Should've seen that coming, I suppose," he allowed. I heard the fighting stop on the other side of the alley and I paused, turning towards them.

"You son of a bitch," Logan growled. Victor was pinned against a dumpster, one set of claws holding him to the painted metal and the other aligned with his neck. "You're gonna die for what you did to her."

Logan drew his arm back but never had time to bring his claws down.

A card flew past me almost faster than my eyes could follow, and I swore as it collided with the ground at Logan's feet. The explosion was much larger than the others, pushing the two apart and uprooting the cobblestones.

I turned, growling, at Gambit as he smirked, smug. I extended my claws, grinning as he paused. My grin grew broader as I smelled his fear, just enough for me to sense but still there.

"I can smell your fear, _Gambit_ ," I announced. He pulled a staff out of nowhere- quite literally- and whirled it around his head in what might have been an impressive display. I wasn't impressed.

"Sorry, Remy. Colorguard captain back in high school. A bunch of wrist extensions isn't going to help you now," I said, watching the staff intently before bringing my hand down, slicing it in half cleanly. Instead of boasting some more, I grabbed hold of one half of the staff, pulling Gambit towards me, forcing him to lose his balance as I whirled around again, twisting his arm until his was pushed face-first against a brick wall. I pressed hard against his arm, pinning him down while my other hand held claws to his throat.

"Okay, asshole, here's the deal," I said sweetly. "You are going to take my good friend and I to this island where we will kill Creed, Stryker, and pretty much everyone you hate in this world. Do you understand?"

Breathing heavily, Gambit glanced over at Logan.

"You're really gonna kill 'em?"

"As long as you stay out of my way, yeah."

I released him and he tensed before realizing that I wasn't going to attack and neither was Logan. He smiled tightly at us.

"Well, alright then," he said, glancing at Logan before meeting my eyes and nodding once. "Follow me."

 


	8. Chapter 8

A strong gust of wind shook the small plane and Logan visibly swallowed. I held back a laugh, knowing that he had always had a fear of flying. When asked about it, he'd always insist that, if we were meant to fly, we'd grow wings, and leave it at that. I was sure there was some deeper memory but I wouldn't invade his privacy deep enough to find out.

Watching his hand shake, Gambit smirked.

"You don't like flying, huh?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"I'm fine."

"You sure? You got a bit of sweat on your brow there," Gambit informed him, turning his head to face the feral. Logan stared between Gambit and the clouds just outside the windshield.

"Very funny, just keep your eyes on the-"

"On the what? The clouds?"

"You're up and down like a freaking yo-yo!" I held back a snigger. If someone had told me that James Logan Howlett, the Wolverine, would say the word 'yo-yo' in front of people, I wouldn't have believed them. "Where'd you get this thing anyway?"

"Oh, this is my baby. Won her in a game; jacks over fives," Gambit grinned.

"Great," Logan muttered under his breath.

"Relax. We're almost there." The clouds began to thin and I looked out the window. "There it is: the island. Three Mile Island. Hiding in plain sight. No one's going to snoop around a nuclear reactor. They think it's gonna turn 'em into freaks," Gambit smiled, the teasing light back in his eyes.

"Like you?" Logan asked seriously.

"Easy," I murmured, a hand on his shoulder. He glanced back at me and I nodded reassuringly.

"All right, you ready? It's now or never, let's go."

"About time," Logan said, unbuckling his safety belt. I followed suit as he opened the door, glancing back at Gambit. "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, this is really gonna hurt!" he shouted over the wind. Gambit paused before nodding to himself.

"Well yeah, it kind of does actually."

"Good luck," Logan said, nodding. Gambit smiled.

"Likewise."

Logan took another look at the water below, clenching his jaw in anticipation of pain.

"Oh, shit," he muttered under his breath before throwing himself out of the door.

"I'll see you again, Gambit."

"Oh, you couldn't get rid of me if you tried," he winked.

I smiled, wrapping myself in telekinetic energy before letting myself drop, using my powers to slow my descent so that I slowed to a stop right before touching the water, whereas Logan was skipping along the surface and injuring himself.

* * *

I slipped a single claw into the locking mechanism of the door, slicing it open cleanly before stalking through, Logan close behind me. I heard a noise and ducked down, looking up to see two men in lab coats dragging a teenage boy into a heavily fenced and caged area. As they walked past, I noted the metallic scent of blood and saw the mask placed over his eyes. My protective instincts screamed for blood. The boy, who was most definitely a mutant, was clearly not here of his own will. It was one thing to choose experimentation, another to be just another lab rat.

I glanced at Logan before following his eyes. Stryker was pacing next to a window two floors up, looking anxious. I didn't have to read his mind to see what Logan was thinking.

"We should split up," I recommended. Logan looked surprised at my suggestion. "As much as I want Stryker to suffer, he's your enemy more than he's mine. You do what you have to do. My goal right now is to get those kids-" I pointed towards the cages- "out of here. I have to find a phone I can use, but I can get them out of here if I time this right. Once you've finished, meet me on the outside."

"If I'm not there, leave without me." I paused at his request.

"Wait, what?" I skimmed his mind, a habit leftover from years of teaching. "I can't just leave you here! Do you have any idea what Stryker could-"

"Don't risk the kids just because I'm late. I can't let you get caught. All Stryker can do to me is-"

"Erase your memory," I reminded him, panic rising in my voice. I pushed it down before speaking again. "I have your mutation too, remember? That's all he can do to me too."

"That's what I'm saying, you have both of our mutations. You're more valuable to Stryker so you have to get out no matter what. Those kids in there are mutants, Kori." His use of my first name startled me. Logan always called me Re or Raven. Nothing else. "You need to get them out before Stryker does something even worse to them."

"And what about you?" I pressed. He smirked.

"He can't do anything else to me," he repeated. I clenched my fist and he chuckled. "Hey, you still owe me that drink. When _both_ of us get out of here, I'm taking you up on that."

"Deal," I said, staring at the ground. With that, he began to walk away and I called out with my mind. _If you don't make it out with us, get to Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. I'll be waiting with that drink._

_Sure thing, Kori. See ya soon._

_You better,_ I growled and he disappeared from sight.

I wandered away from the room, slipping into some type of closet. I shrugged on a lab coat and made sure there was nothing too identifiable like dog tags or perhaps claws visible.

Sure that I was subtle enough, I walked out of the door and merged into the group of scientists going to and fro. Fanning out my mind, I picked up on one of the scientist's who seemed to have some moral values. At least, she seemed to feel remorse for the operation. I slipped into her mind carefully.

 _Do not panic._ Contrary to my words, the woman jumped and searched for me with her eyes, looking a little guilty in doing so.

 _Where are you?_ she demanded. I took some control of her higher functions, guiding her eyes towards me. I coughed into my hand.

 _Now you know where I am. What are you going to do?_ I asked calmly.

_I- I don't know yet. How did you get out?_

_I'm the one asking the questions. Do you intend to alert the others that I am here or do you wish to help me?_

_Help you do what?_

_All in good time. Which shall it be? Will you help me or have me locked away for possessing an ability I was born with?_

_I- I-_

_Good enough. Now, walk closely over to me. Good… Now trip over me and drop your clipboard._

"I'm so sorry, that was all my fault," I apologized to the scientist. She stared at me blankly as I returned her clipboard to her. I smiled. _Don't tense up, act natural. Keep pace with me. Don't look around quite so much…I don't believe I caught your name._

_It's um- Diana. Diana Pond._

_Well, Diana Pond, I believe there are some things you should know about myself. Firstly, I am currently on the run from this very operation. I escaped from a secret facility in Canada where they successfully created Weapon X, with my assistance might I add. Secondly, I am a teacher at an institution that shelters under-aged mutants and teaches them to control and use their powers for the good of all humans, something that is surprisingly rare nowadays. Lastly, it is my plan to free each and every one of the mutants locked within this facility and lead them to safety. That is where you come in._

_Wha- What?_ Her brain was having trouble processing. I pulled her aside and asked her to remain as calm as possible.

_I only need you to do one thing. All you have to do is lead me to a phone. Everything after that is completely up to you but I recommend feigning an illness or something. I know a number of people that would pay to see this place leveled to the ground and not all of them are as… pro-human as I am, I'm afraid._

"You just need a phone?"

"Yes," I promised. Diana glanced around before her mouth set into a determined line.

"Follow me," she ordered. And I did. She led me away from the main hallways and down a deserted corridor. She led me into an empty office and pointed me to the phone. "This is my boss's office. He's out for the week, on vacation or something, so no one will be coming by here."

"Thank you," I smiled. "And, Diana?" She paused at the doorway. "I don't know how much you have to feel guilty for but you are a good person under all this human versus mutant crap. Don't let anyone, especially yourself, think any different."

Diana paused before nodding briefly, turning away as I dialed the phone number.

I listened to Greg, one of the older students, talk for a while before getting to the main topic.

"What do you mean 'Charles isn't there'? Where could he have-"

"He said he and Hank had to go to some island. I don't know, he told one of the younger kids," Greg defended. I could almost see him shrugging.

"Wait, you mean Three Mile Island? When did they leave?"

"Around ten minutes ago."

"Okay, thanks Greg. Have you been practicing your powers?" I could hear the pause of awkward silence on the other end and I knew the answer. "I need to go right now, but I expect you to be practicing when I get back. Oh, but before that, get the school ready for some new kids. If things work out, we're going to about fifteen to twenty new students."

"What are you-"

"Bye Greg!" I cut him off, hanging up. I sighed into the receiver before looking back at Diana. "My mentor is already on his way with the jet. That makes things a lot easier. Now all I have to do is get the kids out." I began planning to myself: Logan would be providing a very good distraction, even if it wasn't his intention, creating a window of time where the perimeter defenses would be weakened enough for us to slip through the emergency exits outside of the compound itself. All in all, it was a very rough idea of a plan but it was better than nothing.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Diana asked, curious. I raised an eyebrow, extending the claws on my right hand and holding it up for her to see.

"I was able to help Weapon X survive the adamantium bonding because I went through it myself," I added. "Anyway, my friend is going to cause a distraction right about-" A siren went off.

"Right about now, I guess." Diana looked at me as if I were insane.


	9. Chapter 9

I was surprised when I went to free the kids. Standing at the other corner of the room but still far from the caged mutants, stood Logan and a woman.

"Logan!" I called. He looked over to me and a strange sense of relief washed over his features. "I thought you'd still be dealing with Stryker and Victor."

"Change of plans," he said, pulling the woman closer to me. I studied her, recognizing her from Logan's memories, and I gasped.

"Kayla?"

"Another one of Stryker's mind games," Logan growled. Kayla smiled sadly before turning back to the cages. I nodded.

"I'd introduce myself but this isn't really the time. I've already got a ride out of here on the way and I've set up a rendezvous point. Let's just get them out of here." I was about to run forward, claws out, but Kayla put a hand on my shoulder.

"Tell me your name," she said. I could hear the curiousity but I could also feel the tactohypnosis. I smiled at her.

"A tactohypnotistic, nice. Just call me Raven," I answered. She nodded and I flexed my arms, the claws coming out in unison with Logan's. I shared a glance with him and we both ran forward simultaneously. We ran along the corridor side by side, Logan slashing the locks on the cages on the right, I opening the cages on the left. Looking back, I saw Kayla hugging a young blond woman with a contented smile on her face.

"Everybody! Come this way!" I shouted. Kayla ran forward, pulling the young woman- her sister- with her and the others followed. Kayla paused in front of Logan before taking his hand and running right behind me.

We had barely made it out of the warehouse-like building when the garage doors creaked open. There, standing shirtless in the light, was a very familiar looking mutant. _Wade._

Logan stared at him before extending his claws to their full length. Wade returned the stare as katanas not unlike his old blades slid out of his hands, reaching past his knee. I tried to reach for his mind, but there was nothing for me to grab at. It was like he didn't exist.

"Re, Kayla, get these kids out of here," Logan ordered. I didn't like his tone. That was his kamikaze voice. I nodded, putting a hand on Logan's shoulder as Kayla led the kids away.

"James, it's Wade. He's- He's gone. There's nothing left of him in there. There's no trace of his consciousness." Logan chuckled humorlessly.

"Guess Stryker finally found a way to shut him up," he said darkly. I nodded before running after the kids, catching up to them easily.

"Let me go first!" I shouted. "Kayla, get behind me. Logan would kill me if I let anything happen to-"

"Shoot on sight!"

I had barely gotten my wall up. Even then, I was hit in the chest twice and a third time in the left shoulder. Kayla's sister, Emma, dove forward and caught me, her skin now clear and reflecting the light.

"No, you can't- This can't be-" I winced at the panic in Emma's voice.

"Relax, I'm not dying," I coughed as the bullets fell away from me. The kids looked up at me, apparently impressed. I coughed again, self-conscious. "Haven't any of you heard of a healing factor? Anyway, have we learned why we should let me go in front? I've been trained for this. It's my job to get all of you out safely, got that?"

I only got nods so I glanced back at the balcony where the armed gunmen were lying in wait.

"I can help! Point me at them!" one of the boys, the teenager I had seen earlier, shouted. I calculated his probable mutation and nodded, pulling him close.

"Everyone stay back, I can't hold up the shield that long," I warned. The kids huddled around the corner and I put my shield up, covering the boy as I aligned him with the men. "Okay, now!"

He pulled the mask off of his face, screaming as a red bolt of light burst out of his eyes and towards the guards, melting the glass and doing who knows what to the people.

"Did I get them?" he asked after a pause. I nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, you got 'em." I stood, facing the group. "Alright, let's- Kayla, you're hit!" I knelt down, my nose picking up her blood and her pain. I pressed my hand down on her abdomen overtop the bleeding wound as I glanced around the group, trying to recognize mutations. Finding nothing that I could see as useful given the situation, I tore off the bottom of my shirt, balling it up, and pressing it onto the wound.

"Okay, Kayla, I'm going to carry you," I told her calmly. "Keep pressure on the wound. We're going to have to wait until we get to Hank." I didn't like how pale she was already getting. I lifted her into my arms, glad for my inhuman strength and reinforced bones.

"Follow me," I order, trying to hurry but not hurt Kayla any further. The kids obeyed without question as I led them into the labyrinth.

After a while, I began to sense a familiar mind.

 _Charles!_ I cried out in relief.

_Korena, it's good to hear your mind. How are things?_

_Not too great, we need to get out of here. Logan is off fighting what's left of Wade, or should I say Weapon XI, and Kayla's been hit. Everyone else is fine so far. I'm carrying Kayla and making her keep pressure on the wound._

_Some things cannot be helped it seems… Go left._

I turned to the left.

_I'd say we should wait for Logan, but…_

_He'd rather make sure you all get out,_ Charles finished. _That's very noble of him. Right._

I turned to the right and the walls changed from solid brick and rusty copper to concrete and dripping pipes.

"This can't be the way!" Emma protested. I turned my head to her, raising an eyebrow.

"This is the way," I promised.

_It was good thinking, having Hank come with you. Logan will most likely murder me if Kayla- if she doesn't make it._

_Then I hope she pulls through. Second right, then straight out._

_Thank you, Charles._

And there, in a moment as cliché as they come, was the light at the end of the tunnel. I led the kids out of the passageway into a clearing surrounded by trees. There stood the X-Jet, its ramp already lowered. Xavier rolled down the ramp with a smile on his face.

 _It's all right now, you're safe,_ he thought to everyone. I smiled before Kayla shifted in my arms, too cold. Xavier glanced at her before nodding and I boarded the jet, finding Hank standing by.

"Charles told me what happened," he explained, gesturing to the set up medical supplies. "Set her down on the table." I obeyed and left him, going back down as the other kids were climbing up. Just as I stood off of the ramp, a recognized a scent. I glanced over to the tunnel entrance and saw Gambit standing in the opening. I glanced at Xavier, still outside.

"Go. We will wait if Kayla's condition will allow it." I flashed him a smile, running back to Gambit.

* * *

Looking at the ruined nuclear reactor, I snickered. _Only- Logan!_ I smelled Logan, blood, and adamantium. The three were never a good mix.

I ran over to him, Gambit close behind, and saw him sitting up on the ground, breathing heavily, and breathed a sigh of relief. Then he turned around.

Splayed across his forehead were two still-healing bullet wounds that had obviously done more than the average bullet. _Adamantium bullets… The only thing strong enough to pierce adamantium enforced bone._

"The kids are safe," Gambit announced, not realizing what the damage might mean. He sucked in a breath of air, surveying Logan's wounds. "Damn."

"Who are you?"

"What do you mean, who am I?"

"Gambit," I said, my voice sounding more pained than I intended. "He can't- he probably doesn't know. Who you are, who I am, who he is."

I took a step closer, trying to gauge the damage, and Logan grabbed my shoulders painfully.

"Where the hell am I?"

"Listen to me, I'm a friend. I know this is hard on you, but I can help. Right now, we just need to get out of here."

"Oh, yeah? What's my name, huh? What's my name?" he demanded. I lowered my eyes sadly.

"Your name is James Logan Howlett. Nowadays, you mostly go by Logan or Wolverine. You're- you're my older brother. Not by blood, but close enough to it," I said, thinking of the rather recent gene splicing that had been done to me. "You need to trust me like you've done for the seven years I've known you. You need to follow me." Logan nodded near imperceptibly and I bit my lip.

"Come on," Gambit pushed. "Now!"

I had barely taken two steps towards where the jet was waiting when Logan paused, walking in the wrong direction. I followed his eyes and my heart clenched.

Laying on the hard dirt was the only humane human scientist in the facility. Diana Pond had her arm draped over her abdomen, a small hole piercing just below her heart. My eyes watered and I knelt, closing her eyes.

"Did you know her?" Gambit asked. I shook my head.

"Not really, no. She- she helped me. I called the Institute from her phone and told her to take the rest of the day off. Lot of good that did her," I muttered, angry at myself. Sirens blared in the background and I forced myself to my feet.

"These boys are gonna like what you've done to this place," Gambit pointed out nervously. I nodded, blinking away the excess moisture in my eyes.

"I'll find my own way," Logan said. I grimaced, remembering the last time he had said those words to me but knowing I'd never be able to change his mind, especially with his memories or lack thereof.

"Good luck," Gambit said, nodding his goodbye. I stared at Logan, my eyes watering.

"If I hug you, would you gut me?"

He really thought about it. He _had_ to think about it.

"Probably not." I took my chances, pulling him into a hug.

"If you need me, look me up. Korena Grayson, Westchester, New York. You probably don't remember it, but I owe you a drink," I laughed weakly. He didn't respond and I put on a smile, holding my own dog tags as I glanced at his. "Good luck, Logan. I'll see you around, I guess."

He only nodded as the sirens grew louder. I pushed myself away from the ground and towards the jet's location, biting my lip to keep it from shaking.

* * *

"Is she going to make it?"

"She's stable, but not out of the woods yet. Her body is too weak to fight off a serious infection and she lost a lot of blood," Hank reported. I nodded, touching her still-cold hand.

"What about Logan?" Hank dared to asked. I bit my lip again.

"He- he's not coming. Two adamantium bullets to the brain. He's alive and healed by now, but he can't remember anything. Not even his own name."

"So you let him leave?" I nodded in response to Hank's question.

"If I had forced him to come, he'd feel too trapped. By himself he's not really dangerous. If I know Logan, which I should by now, the first thing he'll do is go to Canada, get drunk, and go cage fighting. It's just his personality."

"Then I suppose we'll have to wait until he comes to us by his own choice," Charles nodded to himself. I sighed.

"That might take a while."


End file.
